PGA Tour players wearing special red pin Sunday to honor Tiger Woods' mother at Genesis Invitational
Adam Schupak- PGA Tour players are wearing a special red pin to honor Tiger Woods' mother, Kultida Woods, who recently passed away.
- The pin features the Thai symbol for love and pays tribute to Kultida's belief that red was Tiger's power color.
- The tournament also honored Kultida with a white flag on the seventh hole, symbolizing a complete cycle and purity in Buddhism.
LA JOLLA, Calif. — PGA Tour competitors are wearing a special red pin — on their hat or elsewhere — during Sunday's final round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.
The pin is being worn to honor Kultida Woods, the mother of 82-time Tour winner Tiger Woods, who died on Feb. 4 at age 80.
The special pin features the Thai symbol for love and is "a tribute to the woman whose unwavering belief shaped a champion," according to a social media post by TGR Live, the tournament organizer of the Tour event that had to move from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., due to the wildfires that ravaged the greater Los Angeles area last month. "Tida told Tiger that red was his power color, a belief that became the foundation of his signature Sunday look."
Tiger withdrew from the tournament, which he serves as tournament host and his non-profit is the primary beneficiary, on Monday. He was expected to make his first official start since the British Open in July and undergoing back surgery in September, but said in a statement, "I'm just not ready."
"I planned to tee it up this week, but I’m just not ready. I did my best to prepare, knowing it’s what my Mom would have wanted, but I’m still processing her loss," he wrote. "Thanks to everyone who has reached out. I hope to be at Torrey later in the week and appreciate the continued kindness since my Mom’s passing."
Tiger is expected to make an appearance Sunday at the tournament and could be involved in the trophy ceremony as customary. Tiger is scheduled to compete in a TGL match on Tuesday but hasn't said when he will make his next start on the Tour.
The tournament also honored Tiger's mom this week with a white flag at Torrey's seventh hole. In Buddhism, the number 7 symbolizes a complete cycle or a state of perfection, often associated with the 'Seven Factors of Enlightenment.' Additionally, the color white represents purity, enlightenment, and the absence of negativity.
Tiger announced his mother's death on social media, posting on Feb. 4, "It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning."